Algeria
Fanon and the Asylum
The project to reform an asylum in the French Pyrenees — and the quirky Catalonian doctor behind this movement — served as the inspiration for one of the world’s most renowned postcolonial thinkers, Frantz Fanon. Its lessons are still relevant today.
Oran’s Bawdy Rai Music
Bawdy and subversive, with a history and lyrics that speak to Algeria’s pluralist past, Rai music flourishes in the Mediterranean port city of Oran while its superstars have built international reputations.
How the Battle of Algiers Made Jean-Marie Le Pen
In the first three months of 1957, Jean-Marie Le Pen, later the founder and president of France’s far-right National Front party, participated in the battle of Algiers as a paratrooper. Witnessing France’s dying empire in Algeria inspired his unlikely — and precipitous — political rise.
The French Soldiers Who Disobeyed Orders in Algeria
The atrocities committed by the French army are still rarely publicly acknowledged in France today. Even less discussed are those within the military’s ranks who, confronted with these horrors, defied orders, refused to participate or supported the Algerians.
Algerians Are Ho-Hum About Upcoming Election
But now, as Algeria approaches its Sept. 7 presidential election, a widespread indifference permeates the nation’s politics. The outcome seems predetermined, with incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune heavily favored to win. This widespread apathy contrasts sharply with the turbulence surrounding the 2019 presidential election.
How Algeria Became a Home to Africa’s Guerrillas, Anti-Fascists and Liberators
After a brutal war of independence, Algeria sought to become a mecca for liberation movements across the African continent, welcoming all the “wretched of the Earth” to its capital for training and material support — from financing to arms.
Into the Inferno — A Week in Algeria’s Fire-Ravaged Mountains
Global warming is contributing significantly to the conditions that cause and exacerbate Algeria’s megafires. But, as the mercury rises higher each summer and residents brace for the flames, there's another problem many point to — the negligence of the Algerian state.